March 10th, 2010 by jared
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Beginning next month Verizon Wireless will join forces with the National Football League to offer NFL Mobile to Verizon Wireless customers. The new four-year agreement for NFL Mobile kicks off with coverage of the 2010 NFL Draft April 22nd – 24th and continues with the NFL’s regular season.
“This is an agreement that has, at its core a mutual desire by both the NFL and Verizon Wireless to provide consumers with what they want on and off the field,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “For Verizon Wireless, it is NFL content delivered over our 3G network so football fans can extend the excitement of the sport long after the last touchdown of a season. And the NFL content is customizable in that consumers have options from video to ringtones to alerts; the choice is theirs.”
The agreement makes Verizon Wireless the NFL’s official wireless carrier sponsor, and guarantees customers will have unprecedented access to America’s favorite sport regardless of whether they are in the stands, at home, or on the go.
In addition to NFL RedZone, live Sunday Night and Thursday Night games, and NFL Network, other features of NFL Mobile on Verizon Wireless will include:
- Video: Game highlights and an extensive collection of on-demand video featuring analysis and inside access from NFL Network and NFL Films.
- Audio: Live radio broadcasts of every regular season and playoff game from both home and away teams.
- Fantasy: Access to fantasy information, news, and player and team statistics.
- Customizable NFL alerts, ringtones and graphics.
“We are looking forward to working with Verizon Wireless to deliver our fans the most extensive experience on mobile phones,” said Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s senior vice president of media strategy. “Our fans have an insatiable appetite for football, and we will be able to keep them connected wherever they are on game day but also throughout the year.”
Go Raiders!
March 8th, 2010 by jared
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Perhaps responding to relatively slower than expected demand, Verizon Wireless has decided has decided to make things a little more attractive for people interested in getting hold of either a Palm Pre Plus or a Pixi Plus.
Prospective customers can now benefit from on line discounts and the mail in rebate has been dropped. So now the handsets are available for purchase for as little as $149.99 and $79.99.
A Verizon spokesperson commented recently in an article on Wireless week and said that they had a “brief period where they tested mail in rebates on some phones.”
The test led Verizon to conclude that “some customers expected instant rebates,” and that as this is a competitive business they have “responded accordingly.”
Most would say that the new offers that are in place on the Palm Pre Plus and also the Palm Pixi Plus is an attempt from Verizon to increase sales of both of the devices.
In an increasingly crowded marketplace with Apple’s iPhone and Google Android OS-based phones racking up customers, trying to make the price of not so popular phones as these more price competitive only makes sense.
March 5th, 2010 by jared
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Word on the street is that Verizon Wireless will release two phones from Microsoft around May or June of this year targeted towards the teenage demographic.
Dubbed “Project Pink,” the smart phones models will have easy access to a number of different social-networking sites and include keyboards for easier text messaging.
The Project Pink phones are seen as Microsoft’s latest challenge to both Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android OS-based smartphones. Microsoft hasn’t had much success with its Windows-based phones in a market dominated by Apple and with Google quickly making inroads.
Until now, Microsoft has focused on providing its mobile Windows software to phone makers, rather than offering a model under its own brand. The move would echo Google Inc.’s decision to sell the Nexus One phone, which uses that company’s Android operating system. Microsoft is seeking to win back market share in the phone market after Android and Apple Inc.’s iPhone lured away customers from Windows.
By teaming up with Verizon, Microsoft seems to be taking a different path to market than Apple and Google with what would perhaps be its signature smart phone entry.
The only problem with Microsoft and Google entering the market as a handset manufacturer is the risk it poses to the relationships with other handset makers whom they convinced to use their respective OSs. Their competition is going to be awfully leery of using their software if it’s viewed as providing an additional economic advantage in the marketplace.
March 3rd, 2010 by jared
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With Baseball’s spring training well underway in Arizona and Florida, baseball fans can now “hit one out of the park” with an array of apps for Verizon Wireless phones.
So what’s out there?
First up are apps to keep the family occupied on the journey there:
- Baseball Fans – This $3.99 app gives customers access to the latest news, videos, stats, standings and scores for all 30 professional baseball teams so they can catch up on their favorites on the way to spring training sites.
- License Plate Game – This multi-player classic road trip game ($1.49) entertains users as they travel the highways to Florida and Arizona by keeping track of the different license plates that they see while riding as a passenger in a vehicle.
- GoodFood – Restaurants Near You – This free app has an interactive map so users can view restaurants nearby, which they can filter by cuisine or price to find the best place to eat during their trip.
Second up are apps that give users the ability to stay in contact with family and friends and give updates about their adventures:
- Photobucket Mobile Uploader – This $2.99 app automatically saves every action shot and fan photo directly to customers’ Photobucket accounts so they can share their spring training experiences with fellow fans near and far.
- FOX Sports Ultimate – This downloadable sports experience, available for $4.99, features live play by play, breaking news, scores and stats. Fantasy baseball updates also let users keep track of their teams and make trades while checking out the new and veteran talent during spring training.
- WeatherBug – Rain delays don’t always have to ruin the day. For a $2.99 subscription, users can always be informed and prepared with live local weather, severe weather alerts, detailed forecasts and international weather, giving baseball lovers plenty of time to make other plans if games are cancelled.
Last there are apps that help users find stuff to do after the games:
- Baseball Live – When the final strike has been called and the stands have emptied, customers can relive the games with live play by play on the free Pro Baseball Live app. They can also view the latest standings, easily keep track of their favorite teams, and connect to their Facebook® and Google accounts to chat with other fans.
- Bars & Clubs – This free app gives customers turn-by-turn directions to the nearest bars, which they can filter by category, including sports bars, and distance. With so many superstar coaches and players exploring spring training cities, there may even be a chance to buy a drink for a favorite baseball legend.
Time to play ball!
March 1st, 2010 by jared
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According to an anonymous Google employee, Verizon Wireless will begin offering Google’s new Nexus One smartphone on March 23.
Tech news website Neowin said the Google Android 2.1-based Nexus One, has passed FCC inspection for use on Verizon’s CDMA network.
“Since the GSM/HSPA Google Nexus One is the PB99100, the PB99300 is likely the CDMA version of the Nexus One, which should be launched via Verizon soon (Google has officially announced that Verizon would support the Nexus One),” says one report.
For Google, launching the Nexus One on Verizon Wireless’ leading wireless network is key to gaining more traction on the mobile Web, as it will enable more users to use Google applications and see more ads.
“When we introduced Nexus One, we announced that Verizon would be a carrier partner and the device would be available in the spring,” says a Google spokesperson. “However, we haven’t announced a specific date yet.”
Pricing and fees not yet known but our source said they would be “competitive” with other carriers.
Currently, users may buy the an unlocked version of the device from Google for $529, and from T-Mobile for $179 with a two-year contract.
In other news, Verizon Wireless has been slapped with a class-action lawsuit over $1.99 data fees alleged to have been improperly charged to non-smartphone customers.
February 26th, 2010 by jared
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Verizon’s third smartphone running the Android OS – Motorola’s Devour – is now available exclusively at Best Buy stores. The Devour is a mid-range model with a sliding QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, and 3G mobile broadband.
Best Buy is selling the phone for $100 to new Verizon subscribers with a two-year contract.
The Devour has a 3.1-inch, HVGA (320 by 480 pixel) color touch screen Android smartphone with slide-out full QWERTY keyboard.
This model is debuting with Android OS 1.6, and has the standard suite of software for connecting to Google services, like Gmail and YouTube. User can also pick from over 20,000 third-party apps.
In addition, the Devour is the first Verizon model with MotoBlur, Motorola’s software that brings together messages from a range of social-networking services like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, text messages, as well as consumer and business e-mail accounts, into a universal inbox.
Lots of your favorite Google and Verizon Wireless apps are pre-loaded, and thousands more are available to download from the Android Market. When words aren’t enough, record videos and snap photos with the 3 megapixel camera/ camcorder.
Naturally, it comes with software for playing music and video, and this model is being bundled with an 8 GB microSD memory card for storing thousands of files.
February 24th, 2010 by jared
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Verizon Wireless has announced the completion of a $50 million high-tech “super switch” in South Florida to further strengthen its wireless coverage and data services for customers throught the area.
“Our network teams have been working extremely long and hard on this giant jewel of wireless network technology,” said Frank Wise, Florida executive network director. ”This is a big moment for our technicians and a great moment for wireless customers in South Florida.”
The building was designed to accommodate large-scale expansion of the Verizon network as needed and to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. The facility also has the capacity to handle tens of millions of daily voice calls and wireless data transmissions such as text, photo and video messages; downloads of games, music and other applications; uploads to social media sites; Web surfing; and more.
“South Florida is one of the most dynamic and demanding markets in the nation, with millions of highly mobile tech-savvy customers squeezed along a coast,” said Pam Tope, Florida region president for Verizon Wireless. ”We built this switch to ensure our customers have the most reliable, advanced coverage and services today and for decades to come.”
In the past year, the company has spent $240 million in Florida on network enhancements.
Later this year, Verizon Wireless plans to launch its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless services in 25 to 30 markets nationally.
February 22nd, 2010 by jared
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Just a little over a month after first being introduced, Verizon Wireless has decided to lower the price of the Palm Pixi Plus by 20% to $80 which is a pretty impressive price drop for a phone that hasn’t been out on the market for that long.
It seems that the main reason for the price drop is to encourage Pixi sales in a market where Apple’s iPhone and Motorola’s DROID seem to be capturing most of the spotlight these days. The previous $50 price difference between the Pixi Plus and the more powerful Pre Plus led users to chose the latter phone instead.
Technical highlights:
- Touch screen with full QWERTY keyboard
- Memory: 8GB Flash/256 RAM
- 2 Megapixel Camera with flash
- Wi–Fi Ready (802.11 b/g)
- 3G Mobile Hot Spot Capable
- Bluetooth® Capable*
- Palm webOS™
- Text, Picture and Video Messaging with threaded messaging feature
- Instant Messaging for Google Talk and AOL
- VZ Navigatorsm Capable
- Universal search –Automatically start searching the phone or the web just by typing on the keyboard
- Email –Exchange ActiveSync support for corporate email, as well as personal email support (Google push, Yahoo!, POP3, IMAP)
This phone is targeted to Smartphone beginners who like a highly customizable design, thanks to its limited edition artwork covers from famous designers.
February 19th, 2010 by jared
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Verizon Wireless customers can now use their increasingly sought after Motorola DROID phones to check out the latest music apps on the Verizon Channel in the Android Market.
Some of this week’s highlighted apps include:
- iheartradio – Listen to over 400 of America’s favorite radio stations and some of the best talk stations in the United States for free with Clear Channel Radio Digital’s iheartradio. Bookmark your favorite radio stations, view lyrics and enjoy on-demand content including exclusive performances, songs and intimate vignettes from today’s hottest music stars.
- TuneWiki Social Media Player – TuneWiki is a free social media player that shows subtitled lyrics as you listen to your music, watch music videos, or stream songs through the SHOUTcast™ radio feature. Search for lyrics to over 2.5 million songs and get translations in over 40 languages. Other fantastic features include the Playback Widget and Facebook® and Twitter integration.
- Slacker Radio – Get free personalized radio on your mobile phone with Slacker Radio, the best way to discover new artists and hear favorite songs. Create your own custom station or choose from over 100 expert-programmed radio stations from every genre.
The Motorola DROID phone is available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online for about $199.99.
February 18th, 2010 by jared
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FiOS TV customers are getting an innovative new way to control the functions on their TV sets – and enjoy some enhanced features as well. All they have to do is reach for their Verizon Motorola Droid or HTC Imagio mobile phone.
Effective immediately, FiOS TV customers who have an HD set-top box and a can use the phones as a television remote control. The mobile remote has virtually the same functionality as the standard FiOS remote, plus additional features including instantly transferring photos from the handset to the TV screen. Verizon will expand this service, Verizon FiOS Mobile Remote, to additional mobile phones in the coming months.
“With FiOS Mobile Remote we’re leveraging the in-home FiOS network to marry the cell phone to the TV for simpler, more convenient navigation, along with entirely new phone-to-TV experiences that cable can’t match,” said Shawn Strickland, vice president of FiOS product management for Verizon. “This kind of feature underscores for customers how powerful the FiOS in-home network is — and the potential it has for constant innovation.”
FiOS TV customers, including small-business customers, access the new feature through the applications store on their mobile phone handset and then pair the device with their in-home FiOS network by opening up the Mobile Remote Widget on FiOS TV and selecting either the Motorola Droid or HTC Imagio icon. Customers will be asked to register their wireless telephone number, using the widget. Customers can register their handsets on any FiOS TV, at home or away.
Once set up, FiOS Mobile Remote offers these features for Motorola Droid and HTC Imagio customers:
- My Remote — Controls a FiOS TV set-top box from the mobile device, with features including changing channels, adjusting volume, managing parental controls and using DVR functionality such as pause, rewind, fast forward or record live programming. Customers can also use the handset to control the FiOS TV onscreen full QWERTY keyboard, or use their handset’s keyboard to search for TV programming and video-on-demand titles or manage the Facebook and Twitter widget applications.
- My Photos — Photos stored on the handset can be instantly transferred from the phone to the TV, with two options. With the touch of a finger, subscribers can flick one picture at a time and see it appear on the TV screen. Subscribers can also display an entire slide show of stored pictures.
- My Favorites — Users can import to the mobile device favorite-channels lists currently stored on the TV set. The mobile device can then be used to flip through and select channels from the lists.
- Tele- TV Mute — Automatically mutes the TV when a call is answered with the handset and resumes the previous TV-volume level after the call is ended.
Mobile Remote is easy to set up. You simply access the feature through the application store on the mobile handset and then pair the device with the in-home Wi-Fi network by opening up the Mobile Remote Widget on the TV and selecting either the Motorola Droid or HTC Imagio icon. You will then be asked to register your telephone number using the Widget, and you’re all set to go.
Beginning next month Verizon Wireless will join forces with the National Football League to offer NFL Mobile to Verizon Wireless customers. The new four-year agreement for NFL Mobile kicks off with coverage of the 2010 NFL Draft April 22nd – 24th and continues with the NFL’s regular season.
